Mona Lisa model was male, researchers say

Italian researchers who specialise in resolving art mysteries believe they have discovered the disputed identity of the model for Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa - and claim he was a man.

Silvano Vinceti, chairman of the Italian national committee for cultural heritage, said the Florence-born Renaissance artist's male apprentice and possible lover Salai was the main inspiration for the picture.

However his claim was immediately disputed by experts at the Louvre, where the painting is on display.

Salai, real name Gian Giacomo Caprotti, an effeminate young artist who worked with da Vinci for 25 years, is thought to have served as a model and muse for several of his paintings.

The pair had an "ambiguous" relationship and were probably lovers, Mr Vinceti said.

Comparisons between the facial characteristics of figures from several of da Vinci's works - such as Saint John the Baptist and the Angel Incarnate - reveal striking similarities with the Mona Lisa's nose and mouth, he said.

What is more, Mr Vinceti said da Vinci had left clues to the model's identity in tiny letters L and S that he and his team found painted into the eyes of the Mona Lisa.

"Close examination of a high-quality digital copy of the portrait had revealed an L for Leonardo and an S for Salai," he said.

But the Louvre said it had carried out "every possible laboratory test possible" on the picture in 2004 and then again in 2009 and insisted that "no inscriptions, letters or numbers were discovered during the tests".

"The ageing of the painting on wood has caused a great number of cracks to appear in the paint, which have caused a number of shapes to appear that have often been subject to over-interpretation," the Louvre said in a statement.

The museum also said Mr Vinceti had made his claims without having had access to the painting.

The Italian aficionado, whose team gained notoriety with their claims surrounding the death of Caravaggio last year, said he felt sorry for the embarrassment the museum must feel on having missed the clues all these years.

"I can understand their incredulity and amazement - after all, this must be the most studied picture on Earth," he said, but added "they're really blind".

In order to clear up any lingering doubt over his theory - worthy of Dan Brown's 2003 bestseller the Da Vinci Code - Mr Vinceti said he would be willing to take his team to France and collaborate on further tests with the Louvre.

Whether the prestigious museum will take up his offer is yet to be seen.

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